‘Lady Rose cannot go with you to London without a chaperone,’ said Aunt Elizabeth.

‘There is Miss Levine,’ protested Harry, ‘not to mention her lady’s maid.’

‘Miss Levine is married to your servant and is therefore not a suitable chaperone.’

Harry suddenly smiled. ‘If you want to come with us to London, why not just say so?’

‘Well, I would so like to go. I have become used to all the company and excitement.’

‘Splendid!’ said Rose. ‘But we cannot all fit into your car, Harry.’

‘I will drive you, Lady Elizabeth and Hunter to Glasgow in a few days’ time to catch the London train and then Becket, Daisy and I will follow you by road.’

Charlie, the footman, entered the room. ‘Cook wants a word, my lady.’

‘Send her in.’

Mrs Burridge came in, followed by a small ragged boy. ‘Iain here is the pot boy. He said that drain didn’t go into the cesspool but in a pipe down into the river. He ran down there and guess what the lad found in the river. Show them, Iain.’

The boy triumphantly held up Rose’s ring.

‘Oh, how wonderful.’ Rose took the ring from the boy. Harry handed Iain a half-sovereign. ‘Too much!’ exclaimed Aunt Elizabeth, but Iain had seized the coin and scampered off.

Harry took the ring from Rose and solemnly put it onto her finger. ‘I’ll keep it safe this time,’ said Rose.

The logistics of moving themselves to London proved more complicated than Harry had expected. Aunt Elizabeth had a great deal of luggage. At last, they decided to hire a removal firm from Glasgow to deliver the heaviest trunks to London.

Rose felt happy and carefree on their last night at the castle. Becket played the concertina and Daisy sang music-hall songs, much to the delight of Aunt Elizabeth. The villain was locked up and Rose felt she had nothing more to fear.

CHAPTER NINE

One of the fiercest reform champions addressed a physician, listed all the detriments of fashionable clothing and the threats it posed to health, and said, ‘Must we wear that stuff? Must we become ill?’ The doctor reflected a while and finally said, ‘Yes, go on and wear it – better a sick woman than an ugly one.’

The Agony of Fashion
by Eline Canter Cremers-van der Does

London again. Rose felt she had been away for years. After the bustle of arrival, of seeing Aunt Elizabeth settled in her rooms, Rose was summoned by her parents.

Rose’s first remark was, ‘Why, Ma, you are quite brown!’

Lady Polly screeched in horror and rushed to the mirror. ‘I can’t be,’ she wailed. ‘I kept under a parasol the whole time we were in Cairo.’ She turned to her husband. ‘Am I brown?’

‘A trifle,’ he said. ‘I wouldn’t worry aboutit. It’ll fade.’

Daisy, sitting discreetly in a corner of the room, marvelled again at the attitude of Rose’s parents. They now knew the perils their daughter had endured, and yet all Lady Polly seemed concerned with was the colour of her skin.